A/N: I wonder if anyone guessed the identity of the stranger. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for all your reviews – they mean more to me than you know. Please keep 'em coming.

Chapter 33

"Gibbs, what're you doing?" asked a confused Callen, still groggy from sleep.

"It's okay G, I've got it covered" replied Gibbs, indicating with his gun for the stranger to move further away which he did.

Callen looked at the stranger for the first time and smiled. This has to be a first. "Gibbs, I'll ask again, what're you doing?" Callen said.

"I came back and found this guy standing over you" replied Gibbs. "I don't know how the hell he got in but he looked suspicious and dangerous."

"Oh, he's definitely dangerous" said Callen "How'd he get in? That's easy to answer" said Callen. "He can get in anywhere unnoticed." Gibbs risked a quick glance at Callen for he did not want to take his eyes off the stranger. Gibbs was confused because Callen was smiling and looked unperturbed by the stranger's presence. "I'm not in danger Gibbs" Callen added.

"Besides Jethro" said a voice from behind them. "He was invited."

Gibbs spun round to see Hetty walking towards them with a tray laden with sandwiches and drinks. Hetty and Callen both smiled at the look of confusion on Gibbs' face. It was rare that anyone got one over on Gibbs but it was amusing when they did just as long as national security was not involved.

"Oh please put the gun away and come and sit down, Jethro" continued Hetty. "I assure you, you won't need it." Reluctantly Gibbs lowered his weapon and holstered it.

"Besides this man can kill more efficiently with a blade and even have the upper hand against a gun" injected Callen. "I remember Sam and me being in a fight with him against ... oh I don't remember how many but let's say the odds were stacked against us .."

"Unless one knows how capable you all are" added Hetty with a chuckle. "Then the odds would be even or probably in your favour."

"Exactly" said Callen. "Anyways we put them all down and this guy killed more with his blade then we did with our guns. Gibbs, let me introduce you to Tuhon."

"Tuhon is a good friend and came to visit Callen when he was in a coma in hospital" added Hetty. "I remember Mr Getz having a similar experience when he first saw him at the hospital. Tuhon said he'd come and see him again when he was getting better. He contacted me the other day and asked if he could come over today. I of course confirmed that it was alright."

Gibbs stepped forward and held out his hand to Tuhon. "Callen is a good friend of mine too. I was just looking out for him when I thought he was in danger" said Gibbs.

Tuhon shook Gibbs' hand and said "It's admirable that you want to protect him. I'm pleased Callen has so many people who care for him."

"Yep, but he doesn't make it easy" replied Gibbs.

"Indeed" agreed Hetty.

"Still tending to be a tribe of one?" asked Tuhon and the others nodded.

"I must admit, he's getting better and has let a selected few within his walls" added Hetty.

"Hey guys!" interjected Callen "I'm right here! I can hear every word you're saying about me y'know."

Hetty, Gibbs and Tuhon just turned their heads to look at Callen and then continued their conversation as if he had not spoken.

"Fine!" snapped Callen a little put out by their disregard to his presence, which caused them all to laugh.

"Oh Mr Callen, don't get so upset, we're just pulling your leg" said Hetty and was rewarded by Callen smiling back at her. "Tuhon, please take a seat. What can I get you to drink? There's tea, a particular infusion that Mr Callen favours or I can get you a coffee."

"Coffee's fine Hetty" answered Tuhon taking her hand tenderly in greeting before taking a seat next to Callen and shaking his hand.

"I'll get it Hetty" said Gibbs.

"Thank you Jethro. There should be enough coffee in the pot without the need to make some more" said Hetty and Gibbs walked away.

"It's good to see you Tuhon" said Callen.

"And it's good to see you looking so well" replied Tuhon. "The last time I saw you, you were in a bad way and everyone was worried about you."

Callen looked a little uncomfortable at the memory but said "So I'm told. I don't remember much after being rescued but I get flashes of memory every now and then."

"You had many messages and visitors" said Tuhon. "It shows how many people care for you and willed you to recover."

"How do you know all that?" asked Callen.

"Hetty contacted me shortly after you were rescued and kept me informed of your condition" explained Tuhon. "When you were taken off the sedation but didn't wake up, she was really concerned and needed someone to talk to. I was going to come and see you when you recovered but decided I was needed sooner so I visited you."

Callen never one who liked to be the centre of attention smiled weakly. "I was genuinely touched when Hetty showed me all the cards and messages people had sent. I knew Hetty and my team wouldn't leave my bedside. I also knew Gibbs would be concerned but had no idea that he'd come out here whilst I was in hospital let alone spend time with me to help me recuperate." He paused as he looked at the faces of Hetty and Tuhon who were smiling and shaking their heads slightly at his comment.

Gibbs had returned with the coffee for Tuhon and had overhead part of the conversation. "Callen is the only person who's ever surprised and dare I say dismayed by his friends' affection for him" said Gibbs and the nodded in agreement as Callen squirmed at the comment.

"Yeah, well" stuttered Callen which caused further amusement amongst Hetty, Gibbs and Tuhon. "Anyway, I was gobsmacked when Hetty told me that not only had you come to see me in hospital at great risk to yourself but that you'd given me a maniwat."

"It appears to have been one of the turning points to your recovery" said Hetty.

Callen looked confused and Tuhon continued. "Hetty told me that many people had come to see you and spent time talking to you, playing your favourite music and reading to you from your favourite books" said Tuhon.

"I remember snippets and someone speaking to me in Russian" said Callen.

"That was me, my dear" said Hetty.

"But nothing was working" continued Tuhon. "You showed no sign of waking up so I decided to visit you earlier than I'd intended. I was a little shocked to see you like that but I spoke to you, placed the maniwat in your hand and curled your fingers around the handle" said Tuhon. He paused. "When it was time to leave, I thought I'd better give Hetty the blade for safe keeping."

"We didn't think the hospital staff would appreciate having the weapon in the hospital" added Hetty smiling. Callen, Gibbs and Tuhon smiled at the thought as well.

"As I tried to remove it, I felt resistance and just for a moment, you refused to let it go" said Tuhon.

"But you didn't wake up until a broken hearted little girl who thought you no longer loved her came to visit" said Gibbs choking a little at the memory.

"Kam" said Callen softly. He looked around him at three of his closest friends. Callen sighed and getting a little emotional he added "It's such honour to receive such a gift, Tuhon. I can never repay you."

"It was not given so I could receive payment or for you to be indebted to me" replied Tuhon seriously. "These are given only to warriors who have earned them by their heroic deeds. Callen, you earned it. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and how much you and Sam had both evolved but you especially. It was a case of the teacher had become the pupil" he said.

"Thank you but you'll always be the master to us. I vow never to dishonour your gift" answered Callen. Gibbs looked quizzically at Callen who said to him "I'll show it to you later and explain."

Hetty however had other ideas. "Jethro, Mr Callen and Mr Hanna first met Tuhon many years ago. It was their first case as a partnership I believe. Tuhon and I had worked together during the Cold War. He's a Kalinga Head-hunter and let's just say he was my weapon of choice. He went back to Equatorial Guinea and became leader of the rebels and tried to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship but the coup failed as he was betrayed by someone internally. He spent many years in prison. We tried to rescue him on many occasions but the agents were always killed virtually as soon as they entered the country. However the next agents we sent were unknown" said Hetty.

"Callen and Sam" said Gibbs.

"Yes" confirmed Hetty. "Anyway they got Tuhon out and he promised to retire from the game of drugs and killings after that operation and as far as we knew he had been true to his word. Just recently they had to resurrect those early aliases to go back under to make contact with Tuhon. An envoy of Equatorial Guinea was murdered here in the States and it looked like Tuhon was responsible. It transpired that a South African mercenary, Steven Carter, who had been caught and spent many years in the notorious Black Beach prison, was behind it."

"Tuhon is the last of the Kalinga Head-hunters and was running an underground bar in Mexico City" continued Callen. "As Hetty said we used our earlier assets of Senor Carl and Teddy – I'll let you guess who was who – to go back and contact him to see if he was innocent or not. It turned out that Tuhon's tribe in Mexico City were disillusioned that he was no longer raking in the money selling drugs etc and were on Carter's payroll. They tried to force his hand but Tuhon sided with us and there was a fight, the one I told you about earlier. Sam and I were unarmed having had our guns taken away from us when we entered the bar. As I recall, Sam used a pool cue, I fought hand to hand until I could get a gun and Tuhon had his maniwat. The fight was over quickly."

"Yes my tribe were already dead. They were only waiting to tell us how they wanted to be killed" said Tuhon. Callen and Hetty smiled at the analogy but Gibbs raised his eyebrows at the statement.

"Tuhon joined forces with Mr Callen and Mr Hanna and escaped back to Los Angeles" continued Hetty with the story. "They laid a trap for Carter and his men who were all killed but Tuhon's name was cleared. Tuhon's now fully retired now but is in hiding from those who still want to harm him hence Callen's comment regarding Tuhon's safety."

"When I first met them they were two strangers afraid to trust their training and each other" said Tuhon.

"Guilty as charged" confirmed Callen. "Sam was an ex-SEAL used to working with a partner and a larger team but I preferred to work alone as you well know" said Callen. Gibbs tilted his head to one side in his characteristic way and grunted an acknowledgement of the fact which caused Callen to smirk. "Tuhon used to call Sam the Tyrant with a Trident and I was the Tribe of One" said Callen smiling at the memory and knowing that he still had the lone wolf tendencies.

"But they had evolved significantly by the time I saw them the second time" said Tuhon. "My regard for Callen as a warrior and a friend will always outweigh my personal safety" stated Tuhon. Hetty beamed with pride and pleasure, Gibbs tilted his head to one side and nodded in acknowledgement to the older man's statement whilst Callen continued to look uncomfortable. "Now please tell me what has been happening since I last saw you all" asked Tuhon.